Method of treating and for storage of tobacco



United States Patent U.S. Cl. 131-140 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A process for treating tobacco in order to preclude the growth of fungi and the production of mycotoxins thereon, for eliminating the ordering up of tobacco prior to storage, and also prior to transportation, and for the preservation of the fiue-cugd tobacco in air-tight containers.

This invention relates to a new and useful process.

It is an object of this invention to disclose and claim methods for treating, processing, and storing tobacco prior to converting said tobacco into cigarettes or other smoking material.

It is the primary object of this invention to teach processes for handling and for the storage of tobacco to prevent the growth of toxigenic fungal spores which invariably produce mycotoxins.

It has been shown in co-pending application Ser. No. 541,933 filed Apr. 6, 1966, by Dr. Forgacs and Dr. Carll, the instant inventor, that under certain conditions mycotoxins are involuntarily produced on tobacco and that certain other known conditions will prevent proliferation of fungi. This invention is the result of further study with a view in mind for modifying the process of curing and storing of tobacco so as to be rendered less harmful.

It is believed that under present-day curing processes the flue-curing chambers are not air-tight, nor are the flue-curing chambers able to provide the controlled and desired atmospheric conditions. It is known that the tobacco is handled with no concern as to spoilage due to saprophytic fungi. It is further known that under this treatment the fungi will proliferate and produce mycotoxins. It is believed that under the present day curing process the atmospheric conditions set up are ideally suited for the proliferation of the toxigenic fungi. So, this invention is directed to the treatment of tobacco wherein at all times in the life of the tobacco from harvest until being manufactured into a smoking material the tobacco is treated or handled under critical and controlled conditions.

To practice this invention the tobacco farmer should first hang the tobacco loosely on racks provided for that purpose. The reason for the looseness is to insure that all surface of the leaf is exposed and subjected to the controlled atmospheric conditions. The flue-curing chamber should be so constructed that it is air-tight to insure that the conditions in the flue-curing chamber can be accurately controlled and that all outside conditions will be totally excluded. The racks of tobacco should then be placed in the specially constructed flue-curing chamber for a time of sufiicient duration to elfect a shattering condition of the leaf. By shattering is meant a degree of dryness where the leaf will fragment. Then upon completion of the fluecuring chamber cycle the fragmentable or shatterable tobacco should be maintained in an air-tight container. It is visualized that the air-tight container in which the leaf be stored can be the actual flue-curing chamber itself and without further modification of the flue-curing chamber for the storage cycle provided, however, that the the curing chamber was initially constructed with the storage cycle in mind, or, just as well, from a pure storage sense, the tobacco flue-cured as above can be removed and immediately placed in air-tight containers for storage or shipment. Where it becomes necessary to transport tobacco to the long-storage site, then the tobacco must be transported in the shatterable state which is obtained in the specially constructed flue-curing chamber. The flue-curing chamber itself or any other final air-tight container to be used for transport or storage should be of further sophistication so that a vacuum or negative pressure can be established and maintained therein so that in storage the tobacco can be preserved under a negative pressure.

In the art of flue curing tobacco the following procedure is practiced: After drying in the flue-curing chamber the tobacco becomes fragile and shatters at the slightest touch. To prevent shattering, the tobacco grower orders up the tobacco to facilitate grading, tying, and transporting to auction houses. In the language of the tobacco grower, to order up means to raise the moisture content of the flue cured tobacco leaf to facilitate handling. This ordering up produces conditions in the leaf that promote fungal growth. It should be pointed out that under my process, at no time will the tobacco be ordered up but will be kept in a shatterable condition.

The tobacco companies, after purchasing this high moisture leaf, re-dry the tobacco leaf. At the present time there are very limited drying facilities which force a backlog and a waiting period of some three to four months. In the flue curing geographical areas this waiting period is during the high temperature months which produces op timum growing conditions for the fungi.

To summarize: First, one must hang the tobacco loosely on racks so that all surfaces of the tobacco are subjected to the controlled atmospheric conditions. Secondly, an air-tight flue-curing chamber must be provided in which normal moisture in the air can be excluded and the desired and controlled atmospheric conditions of dry air can be contained. Further, the tobacco must be placed in the flue-curing chamber for a sufiicient time to effect a shattering condition of the tobacco. When it becomes necessary to transport the tobacco from storage in the flue-curing chamber to the manufacturing site, or for any purpose, the tobacco should be transported in the shatterable condition. The tobacco in the shatterable condition must then be again maintained in an air-tight container, under vacuum, until it is fabricated into the smoking material, or it could be so maintained indefinitely.

It is anticipated that tobacco growers can henceforth provide the proper curing flue-curing chamber on their respective farms and can thereby retain the tobacco indefinitely therein and under controlled storage conditions until the cigarette manufacturer is ready to convert that particular tobacco into cigarettes. It is further visualized that the costly and critical items of multiple handling, grading, auctioning, re-drying, packaging in hogsheads, and indefinite warehousing of tobacco can "be substantially reduced or eliminated; that the tobacco farmer, as a warehouseman, can realize more of a profit in the overall picture, and that the final retail cost of cigarettes can be substantially lowered. Certainly, without equivocation, it is known that the cigarettes will be safer.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. A process for handling tobacco comprising the steps of (1) hanging the tobacco loosely on racks, (2) providing an air-tight flue-curing chamber, (3) creating and maintaining a critical curing atomspheric condition in said flue-curing chamber, (4) placing the racks of tobacco in said flue-curing chamber for a time sufficient to effect and maintain a shatterable condition of the tobacco, (5) transporting said cured tobacco in a shatterable condition, (6) preserving and storing said cured tobacco in said shatterable condition in an air-tight container,

2. In the process of claim 1 wherein the air-tight flue- 3,070,098 12/1962 Tempel et a1 131140 curing chamber and the air-tight storage container each 3,110,326 11/1963 Hassler 131-140 effects a negative pressure. 3,403,687 10/ 1968 Kahane et a1. 131140 3. In the process of claim 1 wherein the air-tight storage container is the air-tight flue-curing chamber having 5 FOREIGN T E the characteristics necessary to effect and maintain a nega- 530,529 12/1940 Great Bummtive pressure throughout the flue-curing cycle and throughout storage OTHER REFERENCES References Cited Garner, W, W.: The Production of Tobacco, Mc-

. Graw-I-Iill Book Co. Inc. 1951 revised first edition 10 9 a r 2 PP- UNITED STATES PATENTS 156, 162-164, 174-177, 179 and 187. 253,584 2/1882 Clark 131134 1,528,790 3/1925 Rector. SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner 2,708,441 5/1955 Viglione 131135 X 

